George Stubbs painted both portraits of Pumpkin shown here. The
portrait at the top belonged to Paul Mellon. In the
mid-1930s, when
Paul Mellon was a young man, he came across this
painting in a London shop. At that time, Stubbs had
faded into relative obscurity in the art
world. The horse in the top portrait captured Mellon's
eye--it is a remarkably lifelike rendering even for
Stubbs, and one can almost see the nostril quiver as
he sniffs the grain. Mellon not only bought the
painting, he subsequently began a systematic search for
paintings by Stubbs. What followed not only resurrected Stubbs's
reputation as an artist but launched what became the
single most important collection of racing art in
the world.

Pumpkin was bred by Mr John
Pratt, who also owned his dam, the remarkable Old Squirt Mare. Squirt
Mare (ch f 1750 Squirt), bred by the Duke of Bolton, produced seventeen
foals between 1755 and 1774. Two of them died young, three were never
trained and the other twelve were good runners. Amost all of
Family
24 descends from her, including the influential stallion
The
Baron (ch c 1842 Birdcatcher). She
died in August of 1777.

Prior to his turf career Pumpkin
was purchased by the Hon Thomas Edward Foley, later 2nd Baron Foley,
who also owned Firetail (b c 1769 Squirrel). He was sold before the
start of his final year on the turf, 1776, to Mr Codrington, and then
half way through this year he was again sold to the Rt Hon Charles
James Fox, a racing confederate of Lord Foley.

From twenty-four starts he won
sixteen races worth 6,090 guineas, nine hogsheads of claret and the
Newmarket October Cup, valued at over one hundred guineas. His victory
in his very first race in 1772 by half-a-neck over the favoured Denmark
was thought to be one of the finest ever run.

In spite of his distinction on the
racecourse and his impeccable pedigree Pumpkin was at best mediocre in
the stud, as reflected in his declining fee. He stood at Rushbrook, near
Bury, Suffolk, in 1777 and 1778, for a fee of ten guineas, the following
two years at the Green Farm, near Stoney Stratford, Buckinghamshire, for
five guineas, and in 1792, at Highflyer Hall, near Ely, Cambridgeshire,
for two guineas.

His best offspring was his
daughter Seedling (b f 1784), bred by Lord Foley, the dam of the Ascot
Gold Cup winner Master Jackey (ch c 1804 Johnny) and the Woodcote
Stakes winner Miss Seedling (b f 1806 Totteridge). Another daughter,
Pumpkin Mare (b f 1785), produced Lady Bull (b f 1796 John Bull), also
called Lady Jack Bull, who was sent to Virginia in 1799 where she was
trained but had no success on the turf.

At 4: all at Newmarket, won a 100 guineas & hogshead of claret each
sweep, First Spring, beating Lord Clermont's Sempronius (br c 1769
Latham's
Snap) and two others over the Beacon Course (4 miles, 1 furlong, 138
yards), won a 200 guineas match, Second Spring, beating Lord Clermont's
Ainderby (b c 1769 Matchem) over the Beacon
Course, won 600 guineas and the Gold Cup in October,
beating Mr Strode's Ranger (b c 1768 Chesnut Ranger) and Lord Grosvenor's Rarity
(b f 1769 Matchem) over the Beacon Course,
lost a 500 guineas match, First Spring, to Firetail over the Rowley Mile
(1 mile, 1 yard), the time said (perhaps optimistically) to have been
one minute, four and a half seconds, lost a 500 guineas match in October
to Lord Ossory's Augur (b c 1768 Prophet) over the Beacon Course, lost
a 1000 guineas match, Second October, to Rarity over the Beacon Course.

At 5: all at Newmarket, won a 500 guineas match, First Spring, beating
Lord Grosvenor's Evergreen (b c 1769 Herod)
over the Beacon Course, won a 500 guineas match "by a neck" in
October from Lord Ossory's Chalkstone (b c 1769 Herod)
over the Beacon Course, won a 500 guineas match, Second October, from
Mr Blake's Mareschal (br c 1770 Saanah Arabian) over the Beacon Course
and conceding more than a stone, won a 300 guineas match, Houghton,
beating Lord Clermont's Priestess (b f 1767 Matchem)
over the Beacon Course, collected a 275 guineas compromise, Second
Spring, for a 500 guineas match against Sir James Pennyman's North Star
(b c 1768 Matchem), collected 500 guineas
forfeit, Second Spring, for a 1000 guineas match against Lord
Grosvenor's Mambrino (gr c 1768
Engineer),
lost a 500 guineas match in October to Mareschal over the Ditch In
Course.

At 6: all at Newmarket, won a 500 guineas match, First Spring, beating
Lord Abingdon's Takamahaka (ch f 1770 Julius Caesar) over the Beacon
Course conceding a stone, won a 200 guineas match, First Spring, beating
Lord Abingdon's Harapha (ch c 1769 Herod) over
the Beacon Course, the same day won a 200 guineas match, beating Lord
Abingdon's Braganza (ch c Herod) over the
Beacon Course, 2nd in 200 guineas each sweep, Second Spring, won by Lord
Clermont's Johnny (b c 1769 Matchem), beating
Mr P Wentworth's Ancaster (b c 1768
Blank)
over three miles conceding six pounds to Johnny and more to Ancaster,
lost a 300 guineas match in October to Lord Clermont's
Mark Anthony
(b c 1767 Spectator), over the Beacon Course, lost a 180 guineas sweep,
Second October, to Lord Grosvenor's Maiden (ch f 1770
Matchem),
Maiden being a full-sister to Pumpkin.

At 7: all at Newmarket, won a purse of 400 guineas in October, beating
Mambrino and Sir C Sedley's Trentham (br c 1766 Sweepstakes) over the Beacon
Course, collected a 50 guineas compromise in October for a 200 guineas
match against Lord Clermont's Amethyst (ch c 1768
Brilliant),
2nd for a 50 guineas each sweep, Second October, his final race, won by
Lord Clermont's Fireaway (gr c 1770 Squirrel).